TTCB’s CEO –Digital scoring system CricHQ underutilised

CEO of the TT Cricket Board (TTCB) Suruj Ragoonath is hopeful more premiership one and two clubs will utilise CricHQ in the 2018 cricket season.

The TTCB introduced CricHQ, the world’s largest digital scoring platform, for the 2017 season. The system allows people to get the latest scores of matches online, view batting and bowling figures of all players and monitor the standings in the various club competitions.

Last season, the system got off to a bit of shaky start, as some clubs were not willing to embrace the new technology.

Ragoonath is optimistic more clubs will use the CricHQ system this season. “By and large (they have embraced the new technology). It could be better, not everybody has embraced it. It is technology that is very useful. Not all the clubs have really cooperated to the extent that we would have liked.”

Ragoonath said it is a system that benefits fans, coaches and even journalists, who are interested in getting the latest information and more detailed statistics. “We are hoping for more cooperation this year, that all the clubs at least at premiership one (level) would be more cooperative in using the system, because it makes the dissemination of scores and following the cricket much easier. For you (journalist) for assistance, you can log on and see the scores, you would not have to call anybody.”

The TTCB CEO said there were some glitches in the system but, most of the time when scores were not available it was because some teams were not willing to use the system. “Invariably, like any IT system, it is subject to technology failures and so on, but largely it is case of clubs not utilising it to the extent that they could or should.”

The TTCB has cut down on the number of tournaments this year due to financial constraints. The three-day matches will now be played over two days, while the 50-over tournament will not take place this year. The T20 tournament will continue this season. Ragoonath said the financial strain will not hamper the use of CricHQ. “It is not a system that is very expensive,” Ragoonath said.